2019-01-10 — ICLEI Report Highlights Need for Multilevel Climate Action
A report by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability calls for alignment of and data sharing between local, regional and national governments in order to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The report analyzes data from the carbonn Climate Registry (cCR), which covers 1,060 subnational governments in 89 countries, to demonstrate the value of subnational climate data.
Titled, ‘Multilevel Climate Action: The Path to 1.5 Degrees,’ the publication references the October 2018 Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which highlights the urgency of climate action. Even in a 1.5°C warming scenario, ICLEI recalls, up to 15 percent of the global population could be exposed to severe heat and up to 69 million people to flooding. Cities, which ICLEI notes produce up to 70 percent of global energy-related emissions, represent a major player in terms of both environmental footprint of and social impact from climate change.
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2019-01-10 — Reno Brings Sustainability to the Wild West
In a region with one of the highest concentrations of ski resorts in the U.S. and a water supply that depends on mountain snowpack, the climate trends in Reno, Nev., have not been promising.
“Reno is the fastest warming city in the nation,” said Lynne Barker, the city’s sustainability manager. “Our average annual temperature has increased more than five degrees over the past five decades.”
The hotter, dryer climate means longer and more severe droughts, less water for ranching and farming, and more frequent and intense wildfires, Barker warned in a recent report on the city’s resilience. As Reno begins to feel the increasingly dire impacts of climate change, a new administration buoyed by changing demographics in the electorate is coalescing around the principles of sustainability.
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2019-01-08 — Participate in the Center for Community Progress’ Creative Placemaking Survey
The Center for Community Progress is conducting a national survey to better understand how communities are using arts and culture to transform vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties into community assets. We are working to ensure that creative placemaking becomes better integrated into community revitalization strategies. By completing the 15-minute survey, your community may be selected to be featured in a publication reaching a national audience.
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2019-01-08 — "Second Call" for Drinking Water Infrastructure Loans
he Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is soliciting for more Drinking Water Revolving Fund projects to receive below market rate loan financing in the present fiscal year 2019. There is substantially more DWRF loan funding available than the currently demonstrated $53 million demand for FY 2019 drinking water infrastructure projects. Fund resources could support more than $60 million in additional drinking water project loans for a combined total in excess of $113 million inside FY 2019.
Eligible drinking water infrastructure projects for this "second call" of DWRF loan applicants are those that will address an identified public health threat, such as lead, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or other contaminants.
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2019-01-03 — Groundbreaking Plan to Limit Climate Pollution from Transportation Sector Announced
Nine northeastern states and the District of Columbia made a groundbreaking announcement about new steps to slash climate pollution from the transportation sector.
Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and the District of Columbia will develop a market-based program to slash carbon pollution from the transportation sector. The regional transportation proposal will "cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels" while providing an opportunity for each jurisdiction to invest in a clean, modern and more efficient transportation system.
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2019-01-03 — Clean Energy and Resiliency Resources to Accelerate Climate Action Released
The U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 17 governors committed to upholding the targets of the Paris Agreement, is releasing three clean energy and resilience "playbooks" that will serve as implementation resources for states in deploying solar energy, spurring electric grid modernization, and enhancing resilience in the face of climate impacts and natural hazards. These playbooks are the U.S. Climate Alliance’s latest steps to advance interstate policy solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and grow the economy.
"Reports like the National Climate Assessment underscore the urgency to address climate change. The playbooks released today deliver concrete implementation resources for governors committed to lowering their greenhouse gas emissions and making their state more resilient," said Julie Cerqueira, Executive Director of the U.S. Climate Alliance.
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2019-01-03 — EPA Updates Key Tool for Communities to Use in Turning Current and Formerly Contaminated Lands into Renewable Energy Assets
Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing updates to a mapping tool under its RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative, that will help communities, developers, and other stakeholders site renewable energy on current and formerly contaminated lands, landfills, and mine sites.
“EPA is not only helping communities across the country clean up contaminated sites, but we are also helping them redevelop those sites for renewable energy production,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “EPA’s updated RE-Powering Mapper is a valuable tool for the public to use in transforming hazardous sites into assets that can serve the community for years to come.”
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2019-01-03 — EPA Announces $40 Million in Funding to Reduce Emissions from Diesel Engines
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of grant funding to implement projects aimed at reducing emissions from the nation’s existing fleet of older diesel engines. EPA anticipates awarding approximately $40 million in Diesel Emission Reduction Program (DERA) grant funding to eligible applicants, subject to the availability of funds.
“By financially supporting projects that upgrade aging diesel engines, EPA is helping improve their efficiency and reduce air pollution throughout the nation,” said EPA Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “From our grant programs to our new Cleaner Trucks Initiative, EPA is taking important steps to help modernize heavy-duty trucks and provide cleaner, more efficient methods of transportation that will protect the environment and keep our economy growing.”
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